Child with Swimmer's Ear

[JNorris]

Not really OT since we are preparing for a WDW/DCL cruise in 3 weeks.

DD10 just learned how to swim underwater with a mask on, and how to snorkel. It is a BIG deal for her, she has always been too afraid to put her head underwater.

Now she has swimmer's ear. I know, I should have been dropping alcohol in her ears every day after our swim, but honestly, I didn't expect swimmer's ear. I've had it maybe once or twice in my life, but DH gets it all the time. He had an extra prescription of cortisporin (antibiotic ear drops) that his doctor gave him, so I am using those on her. Do I need to take her to the doctor also? Do they ever give oral antibiotics for swimmer's ear? I don't want to take any chances that she will not be able to swim on our trip, since we will be at the water parks before and after the cruise, and of course, at the beach several times on the cruise.

Also, how long do I have to keep her out of the water while treating her? The entire 7 days? She is heartbroken, wants to go back in the pool NOW and practice her new-found skills, but if it doesn't clear up, she will be miserable on our trip, unable to do any swimming.

And no, she won't wear earplugs.

 

[pigget74]

My daughter is on a competetive swim team and we get this a lot. They sell medicine over the counter that works great. You can look in the pharmacy on the aisle that sells ear stuff. Even when she has it she still swims--it is totally her choice. We put medicine in when she gets out of the pool. You could also get some ear plugs for her. Good luck. We do not go to the Dr. for this unless it does not clear up.

Just read that she will not wear ear plugs---it might be her only option--either wear these or you can't get in the water type thing.

 

[MNdisneymom]

At the place where my son takes swimming, I see lots of kids wearing bands that go around their heads...would that work? (I don't know if you have to wear plugs with them, though....)

 

[triplet_mom_2001]

My son has had swimmer's ear. He was prescribed oral antibiotics to help clear it up. The swimmer ear drops or alcohol should only be used to prevent swimmers ear, and not when they have an active issue.

Lisa

 

[Pikester]

At the place where my son takes swimming, I see lots of kids wearing bands that go around their heads...would that work? (I don't know if you have to wear plugs with
them, though....)

My DS7 has tubes in his ears so he has to wear ear plugs ( I buy him MACK'S kids size) and he wears an EAR BAND-IT that helps to hold the plugs in. That may be the bands that you are seeing. They go around the head, over the ears and velcro in the back.

 

[robsmom]

I just took my son to the doctor's last week for swimmer's ear. He gave DS just the antibiotic drops and nothing oral. cleared in 2 days.

 

[mom2my2gr8kids]

Please as the daughter of a pharmacist .. please don't self diagnose and give medicine that isn't prescribed to your child! There are different amounts and different strengths for child/adult. My dd has had swimmer's ear a couple of times (SUCKED!!) and both times she was given ear drops.

 

[daisyduck123]

My kids have been competitive swimmers for years now & DS10 gets swimmers ear every summer on our local summer swim team (but never on his year-round swim team).

The over-the-counter drops available at the pharmacy are for daily use to aid in drying the ears to prevent swimmer's ear from occurring. I try to remember to put those in DS's ears every day.

When he actually gets swimmer's ear, the doctor prescribes ear drops which we administer for 7 days. He usually can swim on the 2nd or 3rd day.

We just got back from 11 days in WDW, and I had brought along a fresh refill of his prescription, just in case he was going to get a case of swimmer's ear again (had it last month), but luckily he was ok.

 

[christa112]

My son had it earlier in the summer and the dr only prescribed him drops for his ears. I asked the dr about the over the counter stuff as a preventative and he said if it happens again and again to buy the over the counter stuff to use after he swims.

 

[Erin13178]

As a child I lived in the water. Seriously I would swim all day at the local pool with friends, and then at night we all would go to my house and swim, yes I was obsessed. Needless to say I got swimmer's ear ALL the time (along with green hair).

I think my Mom would have to take me to the doc's and get drops.

But I suggest doing the preventative drops and ear plugs. They used to make these type of plugs that were kinda like wax balls and they fit to your specific ear. Those worked the best.

Good luck with the ear issues. My Mom couldn't keep me out of the water, at all.

 

[weloveprincesses]

I know you've already had lots of answers and are already a few days into the process, but dd6 is a little fish (she wants to be a mermaid when she grows up) and we were recently in the after hours care clinic because of swimmer's ear and found at the same time she also had a sinus infection. Oy. We were told with no exception was she to be in the water for seven days. Not even with plugs or bands or anything. This was the day before she went to a camp where swimming was part of their day. Needless to say, she didn't swim. It was hard, but we were also going on a vacation to a beach house in Mexico at the end of the week and really needed to stick to whatever the dr. said.

It's no fun!!! I agree to take her in, hopefully she'll be all cleared up and ready to go on that cruise!!!

Good Luck!!
Maggi

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

for the future, once the swimmers ear clears up, go to your local pharmacy and get SwimEar, use it as soon as he is done swimming. Works like a charm.

 

[JNorris]

UPDATE - I'm the OP. I took DD to the Dr this afternoon. He said that the antibiotic drops I had been putting in her ears were fine, but obviously they weren't working. Other types of infections respond to different antibiotics, and swimmers ear infection is no different. So, he gave me an oral antibiotic, and a different antibiotic ear drop to use.

I do have the Swim Ear drops, and intend to use them every time she swims from now on (after the infection clears up). The only other time she's had swimmer's ear, the doctor told me then to just put 3 or 4 drops of alcohol in each ear after swimming, and she would probably never get swimmer's ear. Alcohol is the ingredient in Swim Ear, so I guess that's what I'll start doing.

Its funny, I guess some people's ears are just more prone. DH gets it several times a year (even from just showering), so I guess DD takes after him. I never get it.

 

[weloveprincesses]

Glad to hear everything is working out! Hope you have tons of fun on your cruise. I've been trying to get dh on a disney cruise, but have yet to convince him. He's just not a cruise kind of guy I guess. I've toyed with taking just the girls and I but didn't think it would be all that fun to be alone, I've heard that the kids want to do kids club things, leaving the adults to hang in peace. But, I have heard it is a GREAT cruise and I'll do it one of these days! Maybe the few hours peace a day would be a good thing!

Have fun snorkeling!!!

p.s., we were in Hawaii this Jan on the north shore of Oahu and had a blast snorkeling. Great visibility and fish. Have lots of fun!!!

Maggi

 

[JNorris]

Glad to hear everything is working out! Hope you have tons of fun on your cruise. I've been trying to get dh on a disney cruise, but have yet to convince him. He's just not a cruise kind of guy I guess. I've toyed with taking just the girls and I but didn't think it would be all that fun to be alone, I've heard that the kids want to do kids club things, leaving the adults to hang in peace. But, I have heard it is a GREAT cruise and I'll do it one of these days! Maybe the few hours peace a day would be a good thing!

Have fun snorkeling!!!

p.s., we were in Hawaii this Jan on the north shore of Oahu and had a blast snorkeling. Great visibility and fish. Have lots of fun!!!

Maggi

Go on the Disney cruise! You will be hooked like us. We've had some cruises where DD was busy alot with the kids clubs, and some where she just wanted to hang with us. We've done lots of vacations to different places, but our Disney cruises have been our best without a doubt!

We are so looking forward to Hawaii next year! I'd love to hear about which beaches you went to. We are spending 3 or 4 nights on Oahu, 5 or 6 nights on Maui, and two nights on the Big Island.

 

[weloveprincesses]

We had a great time in Oahu.....we rented a condo up on the North Shore in Haleiwa right on the beach. We went to Waikiki beach and watched the surfers wipe out, drove up around the tip of the island and back. Stopped at a couple roadside shrimp stands, and twice drove back to Honolulu. My husband owns his own contracting business and had to do an install at a restaurant on the beach. Oh, what a horrible place to have to do an install!!! So, he did go into Honolulu every morning, but we only went a couple of times and when we did, we just walked on to the beach through public access and hung out there. There are a couple of great beaches on 83 if you venture to that side of the island. NOTHING is marked and unfortunately I have no clue where they are along the road to tell you. I just know we drove up and down the road looking for great places to stop. We found a little inlet that was COLD but very shallow and great for the girls to play, definitely needed water shoes for that one. There was another fabulous beach that had public parking but was often full so people park on the road, which is very curvy!! You can see it from the road, it's so pretty! We had heard that the Dole Plantation gives a great tour, but we never made it that far, and that Waimea Valley had great waterfalls, but it takes a bit of a hike to get there. We found a great book called "Oahu Revealed" that gives lots of information about places to go. Be skeptical about the food options. We tried some of the ones they gave rave reviews to and found them to be seriously lacking! Oh well, someone else liked them!!! If you're staying on Honolulu, there is a preserve down on the southern tip that was nice. Not exceptional, but probably the best, easy snorkeling you can do unless you take a boat tour. Which we did, which was great.

Hope you have a great time, I would go again except for that darn 8 hour flight!! We went to Maui and the Big Island thirteen years ago for our honeymoon and I definitely loved Maui. Took a great heli tour and a FABULOUS walking tour that took us through the forest and up to a waterfall where we swam. It was cold, but how often does a gal from Texas get to say she swam under a waterfall? It was so worth it. There are tons of things to do....look for any fish preserves. If your dd is still digging snorkeling, those are the best places to find lots of different fish. Some of them just rub right by you if you go slow and easy.

Sorry about the novel!!! Now off to convince my hubby we need a cruise!!! Take care!!
Maggi